GRAND BLANC -- Matt Harmon had a talk with himself after he made his seventh bogey of the day on the 12th hole at Warwick Hills.

He was having a bit of a Buick Open meltdown in the midst of a closing 3-over-par 75 for a 7-under-par 281 tournament total Sunday.

"I asked myself 'What are you thinking out here?'" said the 24-year-old Kentwood mini-tour golfer who through three rounds had played himself into contention, and in the end took home his first PGA Tour check of $11,893 after tying for 52nd.

"I was trying to do too many things and it was not working."

Harmon, 24 and the defending champion this week on the NGA Hooters Tour in Pearland, Texas, rallied after the chat with himself.

He birdied the par-5 13th by reaching the green in two, then made an eagle-2 on the short par-4 No. 14 hole (322 yards) by driving the green and making a 10-foot putt. Then he set off the party crowd at No. 17 with an 8-iron shot (181 yards) to 10 feet for a birdie.

The crowd was elated, in large part because Harmon ran the length of the hole along the ropes from the tee to green slapping hands.

"I talked with Nick (Jordan, caddie and brother-in-law), and we just decided we would get the crowd going," he said. "They have been so great to us all week."

Jordan said the response was amazing.

"The crowd just loved it," he said. "They were going crazy."

Harmon, a three-time winner on mini-tours in the last year, said the nerves of being in the hunt for the first time on the PGA Tour got to him on the 5-over-par 41 tour of the front nine.

"Apparently I wasn't ready for today," he said. "I got on a bad streak there, and did just enough to keep making bogeys. I guess my game hasn't matured enough to be out here on a regular basis yet."

Harmon called it an emotional, exciting week. It all started when he attempted the Monday qualifier for the final four spots in the field. His brother-in-law/caddie violated a bunker raking rule for a two-shot penalty Harmon called on himself, and instead of a 68 that would put him in the field, he carded a 70 to miss a playoff at 69.

On Tuesday he headed for the Texas swing of the Hooters Tour, but after switching planes in Minneapolis received a call from the Buick Open. Paul Azinger withdrew his sponsor's exemption, and the tournament wanted to give him one. That set off a long travel day back to Flint and finding and getting his clubs home from Texas.

Then he shot a pair of 68s to open, made his first PGA Tour cut in three Buick appearances, and shot 70 on Saturday to trail leader and eventual winner Tiger Woods by seven shots.

"I didn't control my emotions and thoughts for 72 holes," Harmon said. "It was a long week. I'm sure once I think about it I will realize it was fun. I know I had great support out there. That's why I ran up the 17th. I wanted to help them all have fun."